Coin-controlled wheel of fortune



Patented Jan, 2, 1894.

N. B. L IOHTY & J. W. KENNEDY. COIN CONTROLLED WHEEL OF FORTUNE.

QQUGL {No ModeL) g wv MW 6 F v max 4 XWWQ UNITED STATES PATENT NORMAN B. LICHTY AND JOHN IV.

KENNEDY, on DES MOINES, IOWA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,1 18, dated January 2, 1894.

Application filed October 30, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, NORMAN B. LIOHTY and JOHN W. KENNEDY, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Ooin-Controlled Wheel of Fortune, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide simple and durable means whereby one or more disks having notched peripheries and symbols designating the several notches, may be automatically started by coin controlled mechanism, and allowed to freely rotate.

Our object is further to provide means whereby the particular notch at which the disk is s opped will be designated by a suitable indicator, without the possibility of stopping the disk between the notches and leaving the exact point at which the disk is stopped in doubt.

To this end our invention consists in the arrangement and combination with coin controlled mechanism, of one or more disks adapted to be rotated thereby, and means for accurately ascertaining the exact symbol or point upon the disk at which the disk is stopped and in certain details of construction, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a front view of the mechanism detached from the enveloping case. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same and Fig. 3 is a side elevation with parts of the mechanism broken away to reveal certain details of construction. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views of the device for starting the disks and allowing them to rotate freely.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the reference letter A is used to designate a case containing spring actuated clock work mechanism which may be of any common arrangement and construction, adapted to set in motion two disks, located at the face of the machine, for purposes hereinafter specified. The connection with the clock work mechanism for each of the disks is substantially the same, so that but one Wlll be described.

B designates a shaft projecting forwardly Serial No. 489,764. No model.)

from the case A, and adapted to be rotated by the clock work mechanism therein. 13 is an annular collar secured to said shaft by the set screw B 13 is a second collar loosely mounted on said shaft and having ratchet teeth B formed on its inner face in juxtaposition to the collar B and B is a spring actuated bolt, placed in a bore in the collar 13 and normally held outwardly by the said spring so as to engage the aforesaid ratchet teeth B By this mechanism a rotary motion applied to the shaft B will in turn rotate the disk 0 that is fixed to the collar B which in turn is loosely mounted on the shaft B, and when the shaft Bis stopped the disk will continue to rotate by reason of its momentum.

The periphery of the disk 0 is provided with notches at regular intervals and a series of numerals or other symbols are formed on, or fixed to, the disks, to designate the various notches.

F is an indicator, in the form of a spring attached to some stationarysupport, such, for instance, as the case for containing the apparatus and is so disposed as to engage the notches in the disk 0, and when said disk is stopped, to enter between the outer points of the notches in the disk so as to point directly to one of the symbols at such notches and not just between two of the symbols, as is possible with other forms of fortune wheels.

The device for starting the clock work mechanism comprises a wheel H fixed to a shaft projecting from the clock Work mechanism and having a lug H on one of its sides.

J designates a pendulum swung from a suitable pivot and having a lug J near the central portion adapted to engage the aforesaid lug and prevent a rotation of the wheel.

K isa lateral projection on the lower end of the pendulum adapted to be engaged by a coin that is dropped in a slot located in proper position to be entered by said projection, so that, when a coin is dropped in said slot, it will strike the said projection and throw the pendulum laterally, thereby releasing the wheel K and permitting the clock work mechanism to operate. A spring N is fixed to a suitable stationary support and normally engages said pendulum to hold it in a position to check the wheel K as before stated.

In practical operation we prefer to construct the device with two disks as shown in the drawings. The number, however, is not essential to the successful operation of the machine and even more than two wheels may be used by adapting the clock work mechanism to operate more than two 9f the forwardly projecting shafts.

P designates a table at the face of the device having marked thereupon a series of numbers ranging in value from the added sum of the two smallest numbers marked upon the disks to the sum of the two largest numbers so that when the disks are stopped the numbers designated by the indicators on the disks are added and the sum refers to one of the numbers on the said table and written opposite each of the said latter numbers are certain directions to indicate the fortune of the operator of the machine.

Our invention as illustrated is specially adapted for selling cigars. But it is obvious that proverbs, prophecies, and traits of character as delineated by phrenologists, 850., can be fixed on the table P and our invention used for amusement and advertising purposes.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1.'An improved, coin-controlled wheel of fortune, comprising the following elements, in combination, to wit; suitable spring-actuated clock-work mechanism,means whereby said mechanism may be releasedby a coin, a shaft adapted to be rotated by the aforesaid mechanism, a disk mounted on said shaft and provided with notches in its edge and certain symbols or marks designating said notches and a flexible, stationary, indicator adapted to allow the wheel to rotate and to enter one of said notches when the wheel is stopped, for the purposes stated.

2. An improved coin-controlled, wheel of fortune, comprising the following elements, in combination, to wit; suitable spring-actuated, clock-work mechanism, means whereby said mechanism may be released by a coin, a shaft adapted to be rotated by the aforesaid mechanism, a collar fixed to said shaft, a spring-actuated bolt in said collar, a second collar rotatably mounted on the shaft and provided with ratchet teeth on its inner edge for the purposes stated, a disk fixed to said latter collar and having notched edges, sym-. bols or marks designating said notches and a stationary, flexible, indicator adapted to allow the wheel to rotate and to enter one of said notches when the wheel is stopped, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

3. An improved coin-controlled, wheel of fortune comprising the following elements, to wit; suitable spring-actuated, clock-work mechanism, the means substantially as shown and described,whereby a coin, placed in the slot, will set in motion the clock work mechanism, and the device for automatically stopping the clock work mechanism, a shaft adapted to be rotated by the aforesaid mechanism, a collar fixed to said shaft, a springactuated, bolt in said collar, a second collar rotatably mounted on the shaft and provided with ratchet teeth on its inner edge, for the purposes stated, a disk fixed to said latter collar and having notched edges, symbols or marks designating said notches and a stationary, flexible, indicator adapted to allow the wheel to rotate and to enter one of said notches when the wheel is stopped substantially as, and for the purposes stated.

NORMAN B. LIOHTY. JOHN W. KENNEDY. Witnesses for Lichty:

CHARLES WILCOX, THOMAS G. ORWIG. Witnesses for Kennedy:

P. G. HULL, Gno. A. AUSTIN. 

